Need door lock advice for 1981 F150

[JohnnyD]

Welcome to the forum. Glad you joined.

However, you've missed the request from Scott to go to the New Members Start Here folder and introduce yourself. That isn't a requirement, like abiding by the guidelines is, but it would be appreciated. We are a community, not a one-post and away site, and we like to get to know people.

As for your question, there is no relay. The whole of the door lock wiring is shown below, which is from the 1985 EVTM (Documentation/Electrical/EVTM's/1985 EVTM/Power Door Locks), and if you want to know the component locations that is shown on the next page in the EVTM.

But what problem are you having? Do the actuators make noise but don't move the linkage? If that's the problem then it may be the actuators. I bought some new Chinese actuators from Amazon and they were absolute wimps. They didn't come close to locking my doors. But their protective "skirts" were good so I put those skirts on some old Ford actuators and they lock the doors emphatically.

Also look for any place the mechanisms might be binding. As I've noted elsewhere, there is very little extra clearance for the door latch mechanisms. For me, installing the rear lower window guide rail improperly resulted in the key lock binding and not opening properly. Good luck.

- John

[Robvrig]

Also look for any place the mechanisms might be binding. As I've noted elsewhere, there is very little extra clearance for the door latch mechanisms. For me, installing the rear lower window guide rail improperly resulted in the key lock binding and not opening properly. Good luck.

- John

Tnanks I'll watch that when I get it all back together.

[Robvrig]

Welcome to the forum. Glad you joined.

However, you've missed the request from Scott to go to the New Members Start Here folder and introduce yourself. That isn't a requirement, like abiding by the guidelines is, but it would be appreciated. We are a community, not a one-post and away site, and we like to get to know people.

As for your question, there is no relay. The whole of the door lock wiring is shown below, which is from the 1985 EVTM (Documentation/Electrical/EVTM's/1985 EVTM/Power Door Locks), and if you want to know the component locations that is shown on the next page in the EVTM.

But what problem are you having? Do the actuators make noise but don't move the linkage? If that's the problem then it may be the actuators. I bought some new Chinese actuators from Amazon and they were absolute wimps. They didn't come close to locking my doors. But their protective "skirts" were good so I put those skirts on some old Ford actuators and they lock the doors emphatically.

I will have to work on my intro - its actually my son's truck.

Thanks for the response.

We bought a couple of actuators on E Bay probably Chinese.

We haven't put them in the door just plugged them in and tried to see the movement.

Nothing - fuse is ok.

Will have to get the voltmeter out and test the circuit.

[Gary Lewis]

I will have to work on my intro - its actually my son's truck.

Thanks for the response.

We bought a couple of actuators on E Bay probably Chinese.

We haven't put them in the door just plugged them in and tried to see the movement.

Nothing - fuse is ok.

Will have to get the voltmeter out and test the circuit.

My Chinese actuators were from Amazon, and they wouldn't even try to move the linkage. After that happened on the first one I pulled it and put the other new one in. Same thing.

So I tested them against the old ones I'd taken out of another truck. I have a small vise and I sat it on the bench, clamped the link of one of the new actuators in it, held the other end, and gave it power. It tugged on the vise but didn't move it. Same thing with the other new one.

Then I tried the Motorcraft ones. Wow! They moved the vise like it was a rag doll!

You can read my testing here. But Scott shared a link several posts prior to that with the actuators he bought, and they work fine. Apparently there are good ones and bad ones out there.